Virgil van Dijk has been the perfect signing for Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp’s patience paying off handsomely.
The Dutchman arrived at Anfield in January 2018, and in the 20 months since, he has cemented his place as one of world football’s best defenders.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Klopp discussed the process behind signing him, admitting that he wasn’t always a primary target:
I cannot say that I watched him for the last six years and thought ‘ahh I wait a little bit longer and then I get him’ but the two years he played at Southampton before he got injured, that was really incredible.
I saw something of him at Celtic, but I didn’t see this world-class player, already. I saw a very-good centre-half, but I didn’t need one at that time.
And then when we needed him in the moment, it was clear, he can make the next step with us.
The way we play, where everyone is responsible for everything, it gives defenders the chance to improve a lot because it is not like they are alone a lot of times on the pitch and have to sort it for you.
There are moments but it doesn’t happen a lot because we defend really as a unit. That makes life a bit easier but anyway, he has gone from a world-class potential to a world-class player. There’s still a step to go but he made this step and he deserves all these awards, that is how it is.
There was no one really who was better and it is nice.
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The signing of Van Dijk has been a masterstroke, with the centre-back so good that he has arguably doubled his £75 million price tag, in terms of his current value.
The 28-year-old remains the strong favourite to win the Ballon d’Or and Liverpool genuinely couldn’t have made a better signing if they had tried.
Should Van Dijk keep up this current level for several more years, he will rightly go down as one of the best of all time in his position.
Klopp was prepared to wait for his man – he famously held off on signing another centre-back after a move initially fell through in the summer of 2017 – and he is now reaping the rewards.
